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Mercury has 'stumbled' onto a workable formula - a rather subtle one that may be hard for some
to understand (more in a moment). A good example is the new Milan which has a lot of style and
sophistication. Externally, it IS too similar to the Zephyr that will be
sitting next to it in the showroom. Actually, the Zephyr is too similar to the Milan!
There would be far fewer comparisons with the Milan, if the Zephyr was released as a 2 door
coupe and coupe-cabriolet. Hopefully, this is in the works. The Milan is fine the way it is.
Metaphors for Mercury... You won't expect to find a Mercury at KMart or the dragstrip. Not saying you won't find them there - just not expect to. That's perhaps the key to Mercury's marketing - expectations. Ford is apple pie; Lincoln is ala mode or covered in whipped cream; Mercury is something with chocolate (hmmm... many women say they love chocolate...) - or - is for people who don't eat dessert. Again, hmmm... Mercury could be for all those people who have a gym membership because they don't get a workout as part of their jobs. Lincoln can be for people who neither have physically demanding jobs nor use gym memberships. Will Mercury buyers switch to Lincoln about the time they stop using those gym memberships? Is the theme becoming apparent? Ford people may be expected to (occasionally) listen to country western. Mercury owners may (occasionally) listen to classical music - or perhaps alternative rock? Alternative is an important word for Mercury, and probably more appropriate than 'urban', tho 'urbane' might work. 'Wannabe' might also. But there's nothing wrong with 'becoming what you want to be', ie. achieving your goals. It all depends on your interpretation. Coffee in your thermos? Or coffee at Starbucks? Can Mercury pull a Starbucks? Well, from their recent efforts, it seems that Mercury has finally turned "just a bit nicer than Ford" into a meaningful-to-the-customer design and marketing philosophy. Time will tell how the car-buyers interpret it and if it's a popular philosophy.
part 2
One of my pet ideas is that Mercury should offer stationwagons. While I believe traditional
wagons are poised for a comeback, I'd never claim they'll supplant crossovers or SUV's.
Therefore I'd never recommend wagons for Ford - the volume won't be there. But wagons are
a good fit for Mercury, the alternative brand.
There isn't and won't ever be a big enough price difference between the top Ford and lowest
priced Lincoln to create a brand identity for Mercury based on price alone. So instead of
taking the approach of tightrope-walking a very narrow trim-level, Mercury needs to search
out alternatives - models, bodystyles, features - that may never be capable of the volume
sales Ford requires or are too avant garde for Lincoln.
This alternative approach would mean that, since Mercurys would not directly compete with
Fords or more importantly Lincolns, they would be be free to offer trim levels overlapping
both. A full brand lineup - lower featured value editions to Lincoln-level entry-lux-segment
contenders - could be developed.
As long as these 'experimental' Mercurys are based on shared platforms and can be built on
the same assembly lines, they can be profitable and increase marketshare by attracting new
customers who can't find similar offerings from any domestic brand or even most imports.
Another body style I favor, recently seen in preview photos of a
VW Passat concept, is the 'dual-back'. My arrangement is a full-hatch plus a smalller inset
trunk panel which would preserve a sedan/coupe appearance and keep the benefits of 'a separate
trunk' while providing more versatility than
a basic hatch. This would be an additional cost feature for premium versatility.
On 'activity' models, a swing-down tailgate panel might be incorporated for
a pickup-like mode. Although several configurations will probably need to appear before
consumers determine their preferred version, the vehicle that 'morphs' to their needs will
continue to grow as a future selling point.
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